Ebullated bed reactor

Ebullated bed reactors are a type of fluidized bed reactor that utilizes ebullition, or bubbling, to achieve appropriate distribution of reactants and catalysts. The ebullated-bed technology utilizes a three-phase reactor (liquid, vapor, and catalyst), and is most applicable for exothermic reactions and for feedstocks which are difficult to process in fixed-bed or plug flow reactors due to high levels of contaminates. Ebullated bed reactors offer high-quality, continuous mixing of liquid and catalyst particles.The advantages of a good back-mixed bed include excellent temperature control and, by reducing bed plugging and channeling, low and constant pressure drops. Therefore, ebullated bed reactors have the characteristics of stirred reactor type operation with a fluidized catalyst.